Klaus Döring's Classical Music/Klaus Döring's Klassische Musik

by   Maureen Buja  French conductor Pierre Monteux (1875–1964) always seemed to be the right man at the right time. As a student of violin and viola at the Paris Conservatoire, his fellow students included George Enescu,  Fritz Kreisler , and  Alfred Cortot . Upon graduation, one of his first jobs was violist for the orchestra of the Folies Bergère (1889–1892), when the Folies had Toulouse-Lautrec doing their posters. He played in or conducted works by Camille Saint-SaënsSaint, including being a last-minute conductor for a performance of Saint-Saëns’s cantata  La Lyre et la Harpe  (the composer at the organ), earning Saint-Saëns’s undying gratitude. Irwin D. Hoffmann:  Pierre Monteux , 1959 (Boston Public Library) In 1894, he was named both principal violist and assistant conductor of the Colonne Orchestra in Paris. The orchestra’s founder, Édouard Colonne, had known  Berlioz  and could work with Monteux on what the composer really wante...

by  Emily E. Hogstad Most musicians don’t know a lot about Fanny Mendelssohn besides the fact that she was Felix’s uber-talented older sister. But she was a hugely important musical figure in her own right. We look at thirteen facts you (probably) didn’t know about the life and career of Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel. Fanny Mendelssohn © play-images.primephonic.com     4. She wrote her own music for her wedding the night before the ceremony.  Felix had never gotten around to doing it for her, as he’d promised he’d do. 5. She named her son Sebastian Ludwig Felix Hensel after her three favorite composers: Bach, Beethoven…and her brother.  Sebastian would be her only child. Miriam’s Song of Praise by Wilhelm Hensel Royal Collection Trust / © Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 2020 6. Wilhelm Hensel used her as a model for a famous painting depicting Miriam, a Biblical figure often used to represent the art of music.  In 1838 Queen Victoria met Hensel, sa...

by   Hermione Lai   César Franck’s genius flowered astonishingly late. Until his 50s, he composed mostly sacred choral works, songs, and early orchestral essays that met with indifference. Public acclaim eluded him as even his 1841 Trio dedicated to  Franz Liszt  faded quickly. César Franck Yet from 1879 onward, a creative surge produced masterpieces that redefined French music. Just think of the passionate  Piano Quintet , the vivid symphonic poem  Le Chasseur maudit , the  Symphonic Variations  or the  Prélude, Choral et Fugue .    César Franck:  Prélude, Choral et Fugue Disowning his Youth These works fused German structural depth with elegance, influencing  Ravel ,  Debussy , and the entire École Franckiste. Yet, Franck remained a modest man, dying on 8 November 1890 after a street accident exacerbated pleurisy. In his early years, however, Franck displayed an astonishing natural gift for the piano and composition...

by   Joanna Latala   Music is often thought of as an art form that exists primarily through sound, but for deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals, music is not necessarily beyond reach. Instead of being heard in the traditional sense, music can be felt through vibrations, seen through visual representations, and even experienced emotionally in profound ways. How do deaf individuals engage with music, and what innovations allow them to access its beauty? Let’s explore the ways in which music transcends sound.    Feeling Music: Experiencing Sound Through Vibrations One of the most common ways that deaf individuals experience music is through vibrations. Sound waves create physical movements in the air, and these vibrations can be felt through the skin, bones, and body. Here’s how: Bone Conduction  – The inner ear can pick up vibrations transmitted through bones, a technique that some deaf musicians and listeners use to “hear” music in a tactile way. Vibrational...

by   Emily E. Hogstad Over the centuries, classical composers have used their fame and fortune to support various philanthropic causes. Whether raising funds for wounded soldiers, supporting abandoned children, or helping fellow musicians in need, all of these composers felt compelled to give back to society after their musical successes…and it’s fascinating to know what causes were closest to their hearts. Here are eight composers and the causes they supported. George Frideric Handel and the Foundling Hospital Portrait of George Frideric Handel by Thomas Hudson, 1756 The Foundling Hospital was founded in 1739 for the “education and maintenance of exposed and deserted young children.” As its name suggests, the institution focused on improving child health, but it also provided housing and basic clothing. At fourteen, boys were apprenticed into a trade; at sixteen, girls were apprenticed as servants. It was a grim future, but certainly better than the alternatives! The Foundling Hos...

  Screen actors playing musicians: the best and worst examples Actors ‘playing’ instruments on screen can be the stuff of nightmares. But, asks Michael Beek, to what lengths have they gone to make it look convincing? James Stewart learned the trombone for his role in The Glenn Miller Story © Getty Michael Beek Published: November 10, 2025 at 6:00 pm In  Humoresque  (1946), John Garfield plays a  virtuoso violinist . By then, Garfield was an Oscar-nominated actor, but he was no violinist. That said, his ‘performances’ are pretty convincing. Why? Because at least one of his arms is actually that of the great Isaac Stern. Similarly, in  Deception  (1946), a film released a few months prior, Paul Henreid plays a leading  cellist . His performances were achieved thanks to the arms of a pair of professional cellists, accommodated by Henreid’s oversized jacket. Cosy...     John Garfield 'plays' the violin - with the help of Isaac Ster...